Cecilia Tkaczyk finished 139 votes ahead of Republican Assemblyman George Amedore in the newly created 46th District north of Albany, Jimmy Vielkind wrote early this morning. Amedore had declared victory in a speech earlier this evening, apparently before all the vote tallies were counted. The race will be determined by absentee ballots.

And in a fourth seat, Sen. Stephen Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, appeared in trouble, The New York Times reported. He was about 1,600 votes behind the Democratic candidate, Terry W. Gipson, early Wednesday. Saland was one of four Republicans who supported same-sex marriage last year, a vote that may have cost him his seat.

"A Conservative Party candidate, Neil A. Di Carlo, whom Mr. Saland narrowly defeated in the Republican primary, had a significant impact on the race, winning more than 16,000 votes in the general election; the final outcome will be likely be determined after absentee ballots are counted," Thomas Kaplan wrote.

Either party needs 32 seats to claim power in the newly-configured 63-seat Senate. Currently, the Democrats have 29 seats.

Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, chats with fellow Sen. Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx, before a Independent Democratic Conference meeting in the Legislative Office Building in Albany last. They, along with Democratic Sens.David Carlucci and Diane Savino caucus together as a third legislative conference of the Senate.
Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard

But four of those are held by the Independent Democratic Conference, a group including Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida. The breakaway IDC did not caucus with the Democrats in the past two years, and in fact won favor with Republicans for their rebellion. Three of the four IDC members -- including Valesky -- were given Senate committee chairs by Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Center.

Two years ago, the IDC sat out the internal leadership vote, which Skelos won easily to lead the Senate.

IDC member Jeff Klein, R-Bronx, has not said the IDC would vote with Skelos. But he has said he would not support continued leadership of Sen. John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, the traditional Democrats current minority leader.